Let's compare our ranged units

[Garth]

Hi! We already have a thread about our melee unuis and there were some small discussions about our ranged units, too.
But I think this could be worth an own thread.

So what ranged units do you think perform best ?

Raptors: Rat 7, poison, high speed and ilght cavalary. But only 5 attacks for 10 points, but we should see pow 10 weaponmaster attacks, too :-).

Striders: Rat 6, CRA, stealth. With UA they get Hunter and Bushwack. I think the UA is worth it normally

Archer: Rat 5, CRA, supressing fire and with UA 2 shots + combined arms. I think here the UA is always worth it.

Warspeers: 16" range with Assault, Rat 5, Pow 13.


So what do you think of our ranged units ?

I like striders. They are mobile, quite safe with Bushwack and stealth and thanks to CRA can do something against most targets. I think they are really useful. Oh and of course the Deathstalkers are great too :-).

I also like our Raptors. With Poison they can damage multiwounds and Beasts and thanks to rat 7 they can hit most targets. With 12" range and 5" movement they can stay out of your opponents range.

With the archers I had a big problem. I never could get the 2 shots. With Range 12 they never seem to be able to shoot 2 times while standing still. They cost more points than Striders and die more easily. I think without E-Lylith (and one round of Snipe) I will not play them...

I don't own warspeers and didn't test them up to now, but I am not sure if they are able to hit anything :-).

[Defenstrator]

That's been my experiance as well. I have a tough enough tme double tapping with Long Gunners. On the Archers it's hard and the poor Reeves almost never get to do it. It's hard to complain because the UA is so cheap, but the Archers just don't excite me the way the other two do.

As for Warspears, they aren't a shooting unit anymore. At RAT 5 with no buffs except assault they are meant to be a melee unit. Basicly a more defensive version of Warmongers. They can assault up, throw some spears, and then take the charge with Set Defense. Don't even try to think of them as a ranged unit at all now.

[hairsolo]

Striders are my favorite pain in the butt unit. They usually force my opponent to use double their points to get rid of them. Which is always a bargain for me.

Im planning on trying out the raptors next. So far on paper and on the forums they sound great!!!! Who doesn't like 9 inch move followed by range 12 attack and then a swift retreat.

[Defenstrator]

Or advance into. You can move up and shoot the nasty thing, then use the free move to engage their squishy shooting unit. At DEF 14 they normally have a tough time dealing with them, and the Raptors can start chopping them up with relatively little retaliation.

The biggest thing for me is the initial move. They can run 18 inches, but then get the cavalry move of 5" on top of that. That's 23 inches across the board and firmly into the rear flank of your opponent. From their it is simple for them to work around behind them and put the pressure on. Just watch out for things that can hurt them because at ARM 15 those 5 wounds don't count for alot against anything over POW 10.

[Neutralyze]

raptors top that list. they might be 10 pts and only get 5 shots but their speed and damage output on living multiwound models is great.

[Martyr of the Cause]

For me Raptors top the useful ranged unit list. Their mobility combined with the often-practical poison arrows makes them very solid to me. I all-but-never shot arrows witht hem in MKI, but now that's the main thing I look for them to do!

Striders come next. I didn't realize that CRA now works as long as you're in formation, which really boosts up these guys. I didn't dig them as a 6-man unit, but with the UA at 8-man I find them very useful. I'm very glad they kept Bushwhack; on a unit with Stealth it's just mean!

Archers are probably next for me, though I don't like them all that much myself. I feel like I'm opportunities for damage if I don't dual shot with them, but I hate having a bunch of models standing still in what would otherwise be a mobile force for me. With them losing Arcing Fire, Concentrated Volley, and once-per-game Poison arrows, I don't seem them as being all that great anymore. I am entertained that they now get Tactics: Pathfinder with the UA, though.

Warspears make the bottom of the list for me, but I don't think they're horrible. Without Ambuscade they definitely lack that ranged pound-down, but P+S 13 RNG 8 attacks are still impressive. It's the accuracy on them that's questionable. Again, not terrible, just not the hotness. I'd rather opt for Striders for ranged support.

[Soulblighter]

Anyone else think Set Defense kinda sucks on War Spears. I mean if theyre an assault unit shouldnt they have Powerful Charge or Brutal Charge instead? +1 RAT also seems to be a given.

[dancingpigeon]

Seems to me that the Warspears are relying on the Warchiefs +2 to Attack Rolls.

Raptors seem incredibly powerful with RAT7.

I never had any issues in MKI with Archers only have 12" range, and I think with Pathfinder it's even easier to get them in positions where you can take advantage of Dual Shot.

[Defenstrator]

But that's the problem. The Warchief doesn't give them +2 to hit anymore. He's Warmongers only, these guys are Warspears.

[Awefaw]

Good catch. To me warspears need rat 6 so while they have less power half the time they might able to throw hit then melee hit with their less that awesome pow 13.

[dancingpigeon]

But that's the problem. The Warchief doesn't give them +2 to hit anymore. He's Warmongers only, these guys are Warspears.

Wow that is wacky.

Oh well, RAT5 is horrible and without the +2 from the Warchief they really have lost a lot of usefulness.

The only way to get this fixed is to use them and leave feedback.